Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry (17) and Mark Scheifele (55) celebrates Scheifeles third goal of the game against the Vancouver Canucks during third period NHL action in Winnipeg, Thursday, December 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG – Mark Scheifele led the way with a hat trick as the Winnipeg Jets earned a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Pierre-Luc Dubois also scored as the Jets snapped a three-game losing streak.
Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey had two assists apiece.
Conor Garland and Andrei Kuzmenko scored for the Canucks, who had their three-game win streak stifled.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 20-of-22 shots for Winnipeg (22-13-1). The Jets are now 13-6-0 at Canada Life Centre.
Collin Delia made 35 saves for Vancouver (16-16-3).
Garland pulled the Canucks within one 13:11 into the third period. He grabbed a rebound off the boards behind the net, then banked a shot in off Hellebuyck.
But Scheifele put the game away with an empty netter as 28 seconds remained in the contest.
The Jets took a 3-1 lead into the third period after scoring three unanswered goals and outshooting Vancouver 19-6 in the second.
Scheifele scored his second power-play goal on the night when his shot trickled through Delia with 2.5 seconds left in the frame.
Dubois put the Jets ahead when he was awarded a penalty shot after being taken down by Canucks defenceman Ethan Bear. Dubois beat Delia cleanly at the 15:42 mark.
With Lane Pederson off for tripping, Scheifele deflected Morrissey’s slap shot from the blue line past Delia on the power play at 13:52 of the second.
The Canucks drew first blood just 41 seconds into game, taking advantage of a horrendous giveaway by Dylan Samberg in his own end.
The Jets defenceman sent the puck to Elias Pettersson, who dished it to Kuzmenko. The left-winger promptly fired one past Hellebuyck for his 15th of the season.
Winnipeg did not register its first shot on goal until the 9:39 mark of the opening period.
NOTES: Morrissey left the game after a hit from Vancouver defenceman Tyler Myers in the third period. He did not return to play “¦ Winnipeg forward Sam Gagner celebrated his 1,000th NHL game on Thursday. He wore the number 1000 on his jersey during the pre-game warmup “¦ The injury-riddled Jets called up forward Kristian Reichel from their Manitoba Moose AHL affiliate, but he did not dress for Thursday’s game.
UP NEXT
Jets: Will play the Oilers in Edmonton on Saturday.
Canucks: Will play the Flames in Calgary on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2022.
